Spud the Dog!

This is Spud, a dog that lives down the street from me. He is a very B-I-G love but he has to sneak away to see us. We just love him to pieces but although he looks well taken care of, his owner is a bit of a stick in the mud and is not friendly and for some reason, Spud never wants to go home. He is in the studio and you can see how big HE is compared to his surroundings. When Spud eats a Milkbone, it is like having a lake in the house, crumbs and drool everywhere and best of all, he sings!!!

Off to a wedding/bachlorette party for Melissa who works for me and is already married. Should be fun, Lois ( Please don't make me play dumb shower games! There oughta be a law! )

In This Magazine

Page 8 in this wonderful magazine ( ! ) features one of my sterling toggle clasps! It is the one that says HOPE and I made it because some days when the entire world gets me down from the mess in Iraq, the deaths of our youngest, brightest soldiers, global warming, the economy and I could go onnnnnnnnnn; I need to remember to have HOPE, to feel HOPE, to promote HOPE.

My thanks to the magazine and the wonderful jewelry designer Linda Muscante ( I hope I spelled this correctly ) for adding my piece into the magazine. I am proudly mailing a copy to my best friend and my mom plus I have a stack of the magazines prominently displayed in my shop. xxoo, Lois

Look What I Found!

Look what I found while on a drive ... Lois Lane and the sweet yellow mustard flowers at the base of the sign! Imagine that! The REAL Lois Lane! HAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA - Lois

A Brief Bit of Sun!

The sun briefly made an appearance this afternoon so Phil and I dashed off to East Beach on Marrowstone Island for a quick walk. There was sun, a low, low tide and no wind. We just about had the place to ourselves. I took all my broken cabs and bliter pearls to the beach and made an offering of thanks to the earth as I tossed them into or back to the water. The earth gives me so much in my business to sell or work with; it only feels right to return what I can not use because of breakage.

Poor Andrea, stranded in Seattle for the night instead of being on her way to Texas. Dang airlines!@# %6!8 *()&* There I said it for her! See you later gator, Lois

A Purple Day

These pictures have a theme in common; the color purple. It is our funky lavender flower bed with the bowling ball we found on the beach as an ornament ( who would get so mad at bowling that they would toss the ball into Puget Sound?? ), my beautiful purple vincas which grow along the walkway to my front door without any help from me at all and finally, one of my folkart paintings of english canal flowers that was framed in a small but elaborate gold frame.

We greeted this day with a mad rush to get Jacob to school or rather Phil did as I just snoozed away, only to find out that there was no school today because of a teacher's training day. That just forced Jacob and I to visit Andrea and Whit and have hot dogs at John's hot dog stand downtown. MMM .. jumbo veggie dogs! All this during a brief few hours of sun!! Now if only Jacob would quit bugging me about running off with my ancient IPod! Time for bed! xxoo, Lois

Twenty Six Years Ago ...

On this day twenty six years ago; I gave birth to my oldest son, Michael. I named him with a long distinguished moniker, Michael Ernest James Venarchick Morello and after a difficult few weeks of worry; took my sweet baby home. I am to this day amazed that I could be entrusted with a new human life and not need a license or any specialized training or education. Michael has been a wonderful boy and now a man. He kept me company, made me laugh, worry, cry, rejoice and delight in life and him. Even now that he lives so very far away; I miss him terribly and yet, he still makes me feel all warm, cozy and motherly inside. He is and always will be a joy in my life. My now grown up treasure!

I am adding this photo of Seattle's famous Space Needle for Michael. When he gets home one of these days we are going to head to the top! Happy Birthday Michael!! Love, Mom

Pretty Trees in Portland

I am feeling pretty tired as it is getting late and world weary tonight so I am just going to post these pictures of the lovely, blooming fruit trees at the Portland Convention Center. Aren't they beautiful? I have always had a love affair with flowering trees! It is so spring! Sweet dreams - Lois